Stories from Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Judge denies quarry request to operate pending appeal(09/26/12)A Cape Girardeau County judge has denied a local quarry operator's request to continue production near a local private high school. Judge William Syler on Wednesday denied a request filed by Strack Excavating LLC to continue operating its quarry near Saxony Lutheran High School. The move comes after Syler on Sept. 12 reversed a decision by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Land Reclamation Commission to award Strack a permit to operate the quarry...

Akin brings bus tour to Cape Girardeau as deadline passes(09/26/12)Some had doubted U.S. Rep. Todd Akin's resolve to remain in the race. But at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, a half-hour past the final deadline to drop out had passed, there he was in Cape Girardeau telling a gathered crowd of about 80 that he wasn't quitting regardless of what GOP leaders wanted...

Car drives into apartment building on Themis Street in Cape(09/26/12)A Cape Girardeau motorist is unhurt after an accident around 11 a.m. Tuesday that involved her car crashing into the lower story of an apartment building. According to a spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the driver was about to leave a parking lot at 3021 Mimosa Drive when her foot slipped off the brake of her Chevy Impala and landed on the gas pedal. ...

Humanities series speaker presents lecture on separation of religion, government(09/26/12)A near-capacity audience was on hand Tuesday night at Southeast Missouri State University's Rose Theatre to listen to Dr. Daniel L. Dreisbach's lecture, "Mending Wall or Spite Fence?: Revisiting Thomas Jefferson's Wall of Separation." Dreisbach, a professor at American University in Washington, D.C., spoke for nearly an hour in what was Southeast's fourth installment of the Crader Humanities Lecture Series. ...

St. Louis author writes book on Limbaugh Sr.(09/26/12)Rush Limbaugh III is probably the world's best known conservative commentator, and he's certainly the king of conservative talk radio. But Rush's grandfather, the first Rush H. Limbaugh, is a larger-than-life figure in the Limbaugh's hometown of Cape Girardeau...

High court to review Cape Girardeau County drunken driving case(09/26/12)WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court will decide when law enforcement officers must get a warrant before ordering a blood test on an unwilling drunken-driving suspect when they hear a case out of Cape Girardeau County. The issue has divided federal and state courts around the country and the justices on Tuesday agreed to take up a case involving a disputed blood test from Missouri...

Cape County health center warns about E. coli(09/26/12)The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center is asking health care providers to be on the lookout for potential E. coli cases after 10 possible cases have popped up in Southeast Missouri. The center said in a news release Tuesday that 10 possible cases of a strain of the bacteria have been identified by the health center and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in four different Southeast Missouri counties, from Pemiscot in the south to Perry in the north. ...

Absentee voting begins for general election(09/26/12)Absentee ballots are now available for Cape Girardeau County residents who will not be able to vote on Election Day, Nov. 6. Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers says voters may cast an absentee ballot at the offices of the county clerk at 44 N. Lorimier St. in Cape Girardeau or at 1 Barton Square, Suite 301, in Jackson until the day before the election...

Woman arrested in connection with body found at Gibson(09/26/12)GIBSON, Mo. -- A local woman was arrested Saturday in connection with a body found lying in the roadway at Gibson on Friday. According to the Dunklin County Sheriff's Department, Lisa McCormick, 43, of Kennett, Mo., was arrested on a $25,000 bond and is being charged with felony abandonment of a corpse. She was later released after posting surety bond. She was scheduled for a court appearance Tuesday...

Legal fees are adding up for Sikeston in issue with FEMA(09/26/12)SIKESTON, Mo. -- Having spent more than $14,000 on legal fees, Sikeston appears to be no nearer to resolving a notification issue with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. During a special city council meeting Monday, council members formally authorized the mayor to engage the Husch Blackwell law firm of St. Louis to explore the city's complaint against FEMA...

Butler County appoints interim emergency management director(09/26/12)A former Butler County commissioner was appointed interim Emergency Management Agency director Monday, but he's not planning to seek the position permanently. "I'm honored to work with the commissioners on this task," Robbie Myers said. "My intention is to restore public confidence and a working relationship with all the other entities."...

Missouri Department of Agriculture expands ash borer quarantine(09/26/12)The Missouri Department of Agriculture has expanded the quarantine to protect trees from the emerald ash borer insect, the department announced in a release Tuesday. The emerald ash borer is a green beetle that is invasive against types of hardwood trees. ...

Drought, heat might lead to muted fall colors(09/26/12)ROLLA, Mo. (AP) - Missouri's record-hot summer and ongoing drought could make fall foliage in parts of the state a little less spectacular. Officials with the Mark Twain National Forest predict that trees will remain in survival mode and protect themselves by dropping leaves and going dormant early, with muted colors...

Senators want upgrades to Mississippi River locks(09/26/12)ST. LOUIS -- The Mississippi River's 70-year-old system of locks and dams urgently needs upgrades to accommodate barges that have gotten bigger over time, a group of federal lawmakers is warning after last week's dayslong shutdown of the river's busiest lock...

Exhumation of outlaw's remains in Mo. postponed(09/26/12)KEARNEY, Mo. (AP) -- An effort to determine whether a 19th century outlaw is buried in a northwest Missouri grave will be postponed indefinitely. Researchers want to determine if Clell Miller, who rode with Jesse James, is buried in the Miller family plot in Muddy Fork Cemetery in Kearney. The grave was to be exhumed on Oct. 8...

Immigrant requests strain consulates, schools(09/26/12)SAN DIEGO -- Schools in Yakima, Wash., are taking nearly a month to deliver transcripts to former students. The Mexican consulate in Denver introduced Saturday hours last month after passport applications spiked by one-third. San Diego public schools added five employees in a new office to handle records requests...

Higher consumer confidence could help Obama(09/26/12)WASHINGTON -- Americans are growing more confident in the economy, an encouraging sign for President Barack Obama's prospects on the most pivotal issue in the presidential race. A new survey of consumer confidence rose to a seven-month high Tuesday on expectations that hiring will soon pick up. And a separate report showed home values rising steadily, signaling sustained improvement in housing...

Air travelers can expect more fees, fewer flight choices(09/26/12)WASHINGTON -- Airline passengers can expect fewer carriers to choose from, fewer flights to smaller cities and more baggage and other fees as the industry continues to grapple with high fuel prices and a weak economy, according to a government report released Tuesday...

Premium increases coming for top Medicare drug plans(09/26/12)WASHINGTON -- Seniors enrolled in seven of the 10 most popular Medicare prescription drug plans will be hit with double-digit premium hikes next year if they don't shop for a better deal, says a private firm that analyzes the highly competitive market...

Court grants appeals from two people who don't have lawyers(09/26/12)WASHINGTON -- Well-heeled clients pay tens of thousands of dollars to hit the legal jackpot -- Supreme Court review of their appeals. But on Tuesday, the court decided to hear cases filed by two people who couldn't afford or didn't bother to hire an attorney...

BlackBerry maker RIM plants seeds for comeback attempt(09/26/12)SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Research In Motion CEO Thorsten Heins is promising to restore the BlackBerry phone's stature as a trailblazing device even as many investors fret about its potential demise. Heins took the stage Tuesday at a conference for mobile applications developers to rally support for the upcoming release of BlackBerry 10, a new operating system that Research In Motion Ltd. is touting as its salvation after years of blundering wiped out some $80 billion in shareholder wealth...

Barnes & Noble to introduce video service(09/26/12)NEW YORK -- Barnes & Noble Inc. says it will launch a video service this fall that lets users buy and watch movies and TV shows on their mobile devices and televisions. The New York-based company says users of Nook Video will be able to shop an extensive collection of movies and shows from major studios including HBO, Sony Pictures, Viacom and Warner Brothers. ...

Staples speeding up store closures(09/26/12)FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Staples is speeding up the closure of about 15 of its U.S. stores and plans to close 45 stores and some delivery businesses in Europe. The office products company also says it will invest more in its online and mobile efforts and will expand the product assortment that it offers to its business customers...

Corps of Engineers off the hook for Katrina flooding(09/26/12)NEW ORLEANS -- A surprise ruling by a federal appeals court that lets the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers off the hook for paying compensation for Hurricane Katrina's catastrophic flooding isn't going over well on the streets of New Orleans. People in southern Louisiana have long taken for granted that the flooding in the wake of the 2005 storm was a manmade disaster -- one caused specifically by the corps -- and they have wanted the agency to pay up for lost homes and property...

U.S., U.N. grapple for workable peace plan in Syria(09/26/12)NEW YORK -- The United States and the U.N.'s new Syria mediator grappled for a new strategy Tuesday toward stopping 18 months of brutal government crackdowns and civil war in the Arab country as President Barack Obama again called for the end of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime...

Einstein's brain now interactive iPad app(09/26/12)CHICAGO -- The brain that revolutionized physics now can be downloaded as an app for $9.99. But it won't help you win at Angry Birds. While Albert Einstein's genius isn't included, an exclusive iPad application launched Tuesday promises to make detailed images of his brain more accessible to scientists than ever before. Teachers, students and anyone who's curious also can get a look...

Gusting winds could push deadly California wildfire(09/26/12)CAMPO, Calif. -- A fire that killed an elderly man who refused to evacuate and burned 20 homes in rural San Diego County was smoldering Tuesday, but gusty afternoon winds could push it back to life, authorities said. Nearly 1,000 firefighters planned an all-out effort to surround the blaze, which continued to threaten about 25 homes in the rural community of Tierra del Sol near the U.S.-Mexican border, said fire spokesman Andy Menshek. ...

Today in History(09/26/12)Today is Wednesday, Sept. 26, the 270th day of 2012. There are 96 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Sept. 26, 1789, Thomas Jefferson was confirmed by the Senate to be the first United States secretary of state; John Jay, the first chief justice; Edmund Randolph, the first attorney general...

Party seems over for Somali pirates(09/26/12)HOBYO, Somalia -- The empty whiskey bottles and overturned, sand-filled skiffs littering this once-bustling shoreline are signs the heyday of Somali piracy may be over. Most of the prostitutes are gone and the luxury cars repossessed. Pirates while away their hours playing cards or catching lobsters...

Death of Libyan rebel raises calls for vengeance(09/26/12)MISRATA, Libya -- One of the young Libyan rebels credited with capturing Moammar Gadhafi in a drainage ditch nearly a year ago died Tuesday of injuries after being kidnapped, beaten and slashed by the late dictator's supporters -- the latest victim of persistent violence and instability in the North African country...

Spaniards rage against austerity near Parliament, clash with police(09/26/12)MADRID -- Spain's government was hit hard by the country's financial crisis on multiple fronts Tuesday as protesters enraged with austerity cutbacks and tax increases clashed with police near Parliament, a separatist-minded region set elections seen as an independence referendum and the nation's high borrowing costs rose again...

Venezuela poll: Chavez leading presidential rival by 10 points(09/26/12)CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez held a 10-point lead over rival Henrique Capriles in one of the final polls ahead of Venezuela's Oct. 7 election, but the survey released Tuesday showed the challenger narrowing the gap. The poll by Datanalisis, one of Venezuela's most respected polling firms, found that about 49 percent said they intend to vote for Chavez and about 39 percent said they plan to vote for Capriles...

DUI tragedy forces road safety rethink in Russia(09/26/12)MOSCOW -- It took a weekend road tragedy to jolt Russia into action over one of its most deadly threats: a chronic culture of drunken driving. Five orphaned teens were waiting for a bus with their guardians in Moscow on Saturday when a car careened into them, killing all seven. Grief turned to outrage when it emerged that the driver was heavily drunk and had a string of traffic violations on his record -- including a DUI arrest two years ago...

Uruguay poised to legalize abortion(09/26/12)MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay -- Uruguay's congress appeared ready Tuesday to legalize abortion, a groundbreaking move in Latin America, where no country save Cuba has made abortions accessible to all women during the first trimester of pregnancy. Compromises made to secure votes disappointed both sides of the abortion divide, which gathered in protest. ...

North Korea raises schooling period to 12 years from 11(09/26/12)PYONGYANG, North Korea -- North Korea's parliament passed a law Tuesday adding one more year to compulsory education in the socialist nation in the first policy change under leader Kim Jong Un made public by state media. Deputies to the Supreme People's Assembly convened in the capital, Pyongyang, for the second time in six months -- a notable departure from the once-a-year pattern of sessions under late leader Kim Jong Il...

Court finds 3 Swiss guilty of aiding nuclear ring(09/26/12)GENEVA -- A court in Switzerland found three men guilty Tuesday of helping supply material and know-how to Libya's atomic weapons program almost a decade ago, but approved a plea bargain that cited the defendants' cooperation with the CIA as a mitigating circumstance...

Mountaineers in darkness after Nepal avalanche(09/26/12)KATMANDU, Nepal -- The mountaineers were in darkness when they heard the thunderous boom, the crush of snow. Helplessly, they slid down Mount Mansalu, the world's eighth-highest peak. It would take an hour for the sun to rise and for the survivors to see what horrors the avalanche had wrought...

Southeast soccer team battles to 1-1 draw(09/26/12)Taylor Byrd admitted that it wasn't easy for the Southeast Missouri State soccer team to play Tuesday night. But Byrd and the rest of the Redhawks realize that's what Meg Herndon would have wanted. "It was tough to come out and play," Byrd said. "But we all played together."...

Devestation event Saturday at Brase Arena(09/26/12)A Devestation Fight Night event has 13 scheduled bouts for Saturday night at A.C. Brase Arena. The event has five championship bouts on the card and will feature three local fighters in heavyweight Max McNeely, welterweight Kyle Kurtz and middleweight Justin Murphy...

Cardinals build on wild-card lead with 4-0 victory(09/26/12)HOUSTON -- Jaime Garcia was finally able to beat the Houston Astros at home last week. A few days later, he handled them on the road, too. Garcia pitched seven sharp innings against a previous nemesis, and Jon Jay drove in two runs to help the St. Louis Cardinals improve their playoff chances with a 4-0 victory Tuesday night...

Dear Papa: Letters to Hemingway get crucial repair(09/26/12)ANDOVER, Mass. (AP) -- The paper conservator's scalpel picked at the red and black specks, flicking away the fly droppings that had stained Ingrid Bergman's letter to Ernest Hemingway. "I shall remember people like you and forget the rest of the world," the actress wrote to her author friend from Rome in 1950...

Texas judge orders DNA tests in Hemsley death(09/26/12)EL PASO, Texas -- A Texas judge has ordered DNA testing on a man who claims to be the brother of the late "The Jeffersons" star Sherman Hemsley. Richard Thornton is challenging the validity of Hemsley's will, which names the actor's longtime manager, Flora Enchinton of El Paso, as sole beneficiary. Hemsley died of lung cancer July 24...

Sarah Borchelt(09/26/12)Sarah H. Borchelt, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, at the Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park...

Roy Petzoldt(09/26/12)Roy Edwin Petzoldt, 70, of Jackson died Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, at his home. Friends may call from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jim Matthews officiating. Burial will be in New Bethel Baptist Cemetery near Pocahontas...

Charles Woods(09/26/12)MORLEY, Mo. — Charles David Woods, 64, of Morley died Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, at the home of a sister in Morley.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Benny Evans(09/26/12)ORAN, Mo. -- Benny J. Evans, 71, of Oran passed away Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, at the family home. He was born May 2, 1941, in Morley, Mo., to the late Ralph Samuel and Geraldine Fowler Evans. He and Diane Hanna were married Aug. 17, 1959. Benny was mayor of Oran from 1976 to 1978. He was a retired self-employed truck driver and owner of a furniture store in Oran. He was a member of Trinity Gospel Church in Sikeston, Mo...

Darcus Purl(09/26/12)Darcus Tremayne Purl, 38, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Oct. 19, 1973, in Cape Girardeau, to Ollie Louis and Martha Mae Harris Purl. Purl was employed as a mechanic in the Cape Girardeau area...

Robert Teater(09/26/12)A memorial service for Robert B. "Bob/Choc" Teater, 77, of Flagler Beach, Fla., will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 6 at First Baptist Church of Flagler Beach, with Chet Thomas officiating. Bob passed away Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, at his home. He was born Oct. 26, 1934, in Nicholasville, Ky., to the late Frank C. and Emma M. Hill Teater...

Births 9/26/12(09/26/12)Daughter to Cory Joseph and Christa Jane Hahn of Oran, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 10:34 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012. Name, Chloe Jane. Weight, 7 pounds, 9 ounces. Third child, first daughter. Mrs. Hahn is the former Christa Griswell, daughter of Billy and Sherry Griswell of Oran. Hahn is the son of Morris and Shirley Hahn of Oran. He is employed by Eftink Construction...

Out of the past 9/26/12(09/26/12)About 5,000 people from throughout Southeast Missouri attend the third Senior Fun Fest, held at the Trail of Tears State Park; the event is co-sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Changes are being made to Cape Girardeau's taxi coupon program to alleviate coupon shortages; beginning next month, unsold taxi coupons for the general public will be made available to elderly and handicapped program participants; to help fund the larger supply of coupons for the elderly and handicapped, the city will eliminate the free additional rider coupon program.. ...

Presidential campaign lacks balanced media coverage(09/26/12)In a presidential election that should clearly be a referendum on the economy, the race this year has been anything but. Perhaps by now, we're immune to 8.3 percent unemployment. Perhaps a $16.3 trillion deficit is of no concern. So what if 47 million Americans must turn to food stamps to feed their family?...

‘Grease'(09/26/12)It's opening night for the musical "Grease" at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus. The major fall production, which runs through Sunday at the Bedell Performance Hall, is a significant undertaking by students and faculty in the university's Department of Theatre and Dance...

Obama and the media(09/26/12)Obama skips intelligence briefings, leaving an empty chair in the Oval Office, and fundraises. Campaign, campaign, campaign. That's all Obama has done for five straight years, promising to buy votes with taxpayer money. The Obama adoring media that got him elected the first time are working nonstop to elect him again. ...

Speak Out 9/26/12(09/26/12)When are our gasoline prices coming down? Based on wholesale market prices, our regular gasoline should be about $3.20 per gallon vs. $3.619. When we are getting gouged more than 10 percent, the state attorney general will get involved. It is that time...

Prayer 9/26/12(09/26/12)Lord Jesus, may we not conform to the pattern of this world, but seek to serve you. Amen.

Cape County Tea Party Supports Todd Akin(09/26/12)The Cape County Tea Party Board of Directors approved the following resolution in support of Todd Akin and his Candidacy for U.S. Senate: Whereas, the Republican Voters of the great State of Missouri have made their voices known during the Republican Primary that Congressman Todd Akin should be their 2012 candidate for U.S. Senator this November; and...